Telegraph-transmitter.



PATENTED JUNE 7, 1904.

No. 761,917. I

w. J. ROUSSEL.

TELEGRAPH TRANSMITTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11, 1903.

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v UNITE STATES Patented June '7, 1904 PATENT OFFicE- WILLIS J; oUssEL,oF NEw ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR or ONE- EIGHTH TO ALPHONSE KING, onCHICAGO, ILL NoIs.

TELEGRAPH-TRANSMITTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,917, dated June '7,1904. Application filed February 11, 1903. Serial I lo. 142,952. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIS J. RoUssEL, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State ofLouisiana, have invented new and useful Improvements inTelegraph-Transmittcrs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements intelegraph-transmitters; and its object is to provide a device which isadapted to transmit Morse characters upon the depression-keys, which arelocated upon the keyboard in any suitable manner.

A further object is to provide means of simple construction whereby uponthe depression of a key the proper signal may be transmitted quickly andaccurately.

A further object is to employ a circuitcloser, by means of which thetransmitter may be removed from the circuit and which is also soconstructedthat the same may be-used as an ordinarytelegraph-transmitter.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists inproviding a transmitter having a keyboard which ispreferably similar tothat employed in connection with type-writers and each key of. which isconnected in a novel manner'to a rotary disk having contact-plates uponthe periphery thereof of such lengths and so spaced apart as to indicatein the Morse alphabet the character designated upon the key connectedtherewith. These contact-plates are electrically connected with one wireof the circuit, while a contact-roller bears upon the periphery of thedisk normally at a non-conducting point thereon and is electricallyconnected with the other wire of the circuit. It is therefore obviousthat when the disk is revolved by depressing the key all parts of theperiphery thereof will contact with the roller, and the propercombination of dots and dashes will be promptly and quickly transmitted.

The invention also consists in the further novel construction andcombination of parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed, andillustrated in the accompanying drawings,

with ",laterally extending cars 14;.

showing the preferred form of my invention, and in which Figure 1 isafplan view of my improved transmitter, the top thereof being brokenaway to show the wiring of the interior of the device. Fig. 2 is asection on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a key, thedisk thereof, the mechanism connecting the ,key and disk, and thecontact-roller upon the disk. Fig. 4 is a verticaltransverse section.through the disk; Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal sectiontherethrough. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the central portion of thetransmitter and showing in detail the circuitcloser.

Referring to the figures characters of reference, 1 is a casing of anydesired form and is provided with abase 2, which preferably extends asuitable distance from the front of the casing. Brackets-3 are arrangedupon the base at points within the casing, and within each bracket isfulcrumed a lever 4c, terminating at a point outside the casing andabove the projecting portion of the base in an up wardly-extending arm5, having a key 6 secured to the end thereof. Springs 7 are preferablyinterposed between the base and the levers 4, so as to hold said leversnormally raised. I

The top of casing 1 is adapted to be closed by a hinged cover 8, andstrips 9 and 10 of conducting material are secured upon the cas-f ing ata point below the cover and extend from sid eto side thereof.These'strips 9 and 10 are arranged'in pairs, and the strips of each pairare insulated from each other, preferably by means of an interposedlayer 11 of non-conducting material. To each strip 9 are secured atdesired intervals hangers 12, having rearwardly-projecting arms 13,provided Within each pair of cars is slidably mounted a plungen 15,having a shoe 16 at its forward end provided with a groove 17 therein.This groove is adapted to receive the working edge of a cam 18, pivotedto the lower end of hanger 12 and having its upper end connectspring 31,which is secured to arm 28 and ed to one of the levers 4 by means of anad justable rod 19.

The rear end of plunger 15 is pivoted to a pitman 20, which is connectedin a similar manner to one side of a disk 21, mounted upon a stud-shaft22, which extends laterally from a hanger 23. This hanger is secured inany suitable manner to the lower surface of the strip 9 of the adjoiningpair. The disk. is preferably formed of a core 24 of conducting materialinelosed by an insulated portion 25, and plugs 26 extend through theinsulated portion of the disk at desired intervals and are electricallyconnected with the core. Each plug is provided with a head 27, which isflush with the periphery of the disk, and these heads are adapted to beof diflerent lengths to represent the dots and dashes of a Morsealphabet. The heads are also adapted to be placed at desired intervalsfrom each other, so as to permit the desired intervals to elapse betweenthe transmission of the dots and dashes of the character. The strip 10of the pair within which the strip of hanger 23 is included has an arm28 depending therefrom, and to the lower end of this arm is hinged astrip 29, having a roller 30 of suitable conducting material journaledtherein. This roller is held normally in contact with the periphery ofthe disk 21 by means of a bears upon the strip 29. For convenience inconstruction the arms 13. within which are mounted the rods adapted tooperate the front or first row of disks, are not connected to dependinghangers 12, but are instead fastened to the front wall of easing 1, ashas been clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. Each of the rods 15 has acoil-spring 32 thereon at points between the two ears 14, and a lug 33extends from each rod and engages its spring. It is therefore obviousthat when the spring is compressed by forcing the rod in one directionit will promptly return said rod to its normal position as soon asreleased.

The wire 34 of the telegraph-circuitis connected to a binding-post 35,mounted on a plate 36 of conducting material, said plate being securedto and insulated from the base 2 of the transmitter at one side thereof.A second binding-post 37 may be mounted upon this plate and is adaptedto be connected, by means of a wire 38, with a binding-post 39, arrangedon and electrically connected with a distributing-plate 40, arrangedwithin the casing 1 at a point directly under the cover 8 thereof. Wires41 extend from this distributing-plate to each strip 9. The strips 10are connected, by means of wires 42, with a distributing-plate 43,located within the top of the casing at the other side thereof andhaving a binding-post 44 thereon, to which is connected a wire 45. Thiswire is fastened at its l other end within a post 46, mounted on a plate47, of conducting material, which is secured to the base 2, preferablyat that side thereof farthest removed from plate 36. A secondbinding-post 48 is mounted on this plate -17 and is connected to theremaining wire 4-9 of the telegraph-circuit.

In order that the transmitter may be re moved from the telegraph-circuitand messages transmitted and received at points upon the wires 34 and 49at opposite sides thereof, I provide a circuit-closer of novelconstruction. This circuitcloser, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 6,comprises a lever 50, which is preferably located at the center of thefront end of base 2 and is fulcrumed within a bracket 51 and providedwith a spring 52 for holding the same normally raised. A strip 53 isarranged upon the end of lever 50 and is electrically connected to thepost 48 by means of a wire 54. A block is arranged under the center ofstrip and is electrically connected with post35 by means of awire 56. Athumbscrew 57 is mounted within the center of strip 53 and is adaptedwhen turned in one direction to be brought into contact with block 55,and thereby short-circuit the transn'iitter and permit a current to passfrom wire 54110 wire 49 without first going through said transmitter.

hen the transmitter is to be used, screw 57 is turned so as to beremoved from contact with block The keys representing the characters tobe transmitted are then depressed in the order in which they are to beused. As before stated, the disks 2], connected to and operated by thekeys, are provided in their peripheries with series of contact-heads 27of such lengths and distances apart as to represent in the Morsealphabet the charactcrs upon the keys connected therewith. For instance,the disk connected to the key F has three plugs 26 therein, the endplugs have small heads 27, representing dots, while the middle plug hasa long rectangular head thereto to represent a dash. Therefore when thekey F is depressed cam 18 will be swungupward upon its pivotand willforce plunger 15 longitudii'ially and compress spring 32. Pitman 20 willduring such movement of the rod move the disk 21 one-half a revolution,and as soon as key F is released spring 32 will expand and return to itsnormal position, and thereby complete the revolution of the disk. As thedisk revolves the contactheads 27 are brought successively in positionunder the roller 30, and as longas oneof these heads is in contact withsaid roller an electrical circuit is established between wires 34- and49 by way of plate 36, wires 38 and 41, strip 9, hanger 23, shaft 22,core 24, plug-2U, roller 30, strip 29, arm 28, strip 10, wires 42 and45, and plate 47.

disk by retracting plunger 15.

By constructing the disk-operating mechanism in the manner hereindescribed it will be seen that the first half of the revolution of thedisk is produced by depressing the key; but this movement is notsuflicient to bring one of the contact-heads 27 into position under theroller 30. As soon as the key is re leased, however, the spring 32,which was tensioned by the depression of the key, expands and completesthe revolution of the As all of the springs32 are the same, it isobvious that the second half of the revolution of each disk will be thesame, and therefore the characters transmitted by the disks will beuniform. As the downward movement of the levers 4 does not bring any oneof contact-heads 37 below the roller 30, it is obvious that the keys maybe depressed at various speeds; but the second halves of the revolutionsof the disks will always be of uniform speeds.

In the foregoing description I have shown the preferred form of myinvention; but I do not limit myself thereto, as I-am aware thatmodifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit orsacrificing the advantages thereof, and I therefore reserve the right tomake such changes as fairly fall within the scope of my invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In atelegraph-transmitter, the combina tion with a contact adapted to beconnected to one wire of a circuit, of a rotary disk, the periphery ofwhich is contacted by said contact, said disk being adapted to beconnected to the other wire of the circuit, a spring-pressed plunger, apitman connecting said plunger to the disk, a key-lever, and meansoperated by the lever for operating the plunger and com pressing thespring, whereby the disk is rotated in one direction only.

2. In a telegraph-transmitter, the combination with a rotary diskadapted to be electrically connected with one wire of a circuit andhaving contact-heads in the periphery thereof, and a contactnormally'bearing upon the periphery of the disk and adapted to beconnected to the other wire of the circuit; of a spring-pressed plunger,a pitman connecting said plunger and disk, a cam adapted to bear uponand operate the plunger and compress the spring, a key-lever, andconnecting means between said lever and cam.

3. In a telegraph-transmitter, the combination with'a rotary diskadapted to be connected to one wire of a circuit and having contacts inthe periphery thereof, insulating material interposed between thecontacts, and a contactroller adapted to be electrically connected withthe other wire of the circuit and normally bearing upon the periphery ofthe disk; of a plunger, a pitman connecting the plunger and disk, aspring for retarding movement of the plunger in one direction, a shoeupon the plunger, a cam bearing thereon, 'a key-lever, and a rodconnecting said lever and cam.

4c. In a telegraph-transmitter, the combination with a rotary diskhavingcontacts in the periphery thereof and insulating material in: terposedtherebetween, of a hanger, an arm to the hanger, lateral ears upon thearm, a

plunger slidably mounted within the cars, a pitman connecting theplunger and disk, a spring upon the plunger and adapted to retardmovement thereof in one direction, a grooved shoe upon the plunger, acam adapted to travel within said groove and impart longitudinalmovement to the plunger, a key-lever, and a rod connecting the lever andcam.

5. In a telegraplrtransmitter, the combination with a rotary disk havingcontacts in the periphery thereof, and a contact-arm bearing upon theperiphery of the disk; of a key-lever, means connecting said lever anddisk whereby the disk is partly revolved during the depression of thelever, and a spring adapted to be tensioned by the depression of thelever and to complete the revolution of the disk and bring the contactsthereon suecessively in position under the contact-arm.

6. In a telegraph-transmitter, the combination with a rotary diskadapted to be connected to one wire of a cireuitand having contacts onthe periphery thereof, and a contactarm normally bearing upon theperiphery of the disk and adapted to be connected to the other wire ofthe circuit; of a spring-pressed plunger connected to the disk and akey-lever adapted to compress the spring and partly r0 tate the disk,said spring being adapted to subsequently expand and complete therotation of the disk and bring the contacts successively into positionunder'the arm.

7. Ina telegraplrtransmitter, the combination with a rotary disk and acontact bearing thereon; of a spring-compressed plunger connected to thedisk, a cam bearing upon and adapted to operate the plunger, akey-lever, and connecting means between said lever and cam.

8. In a telegraph-transmitter, the combination with a rotary disk and acontact-arm there on; of a plunger, a pitman connecting the plunger anddisk, a spring inclosing and adapted to be compressed by the plunger,akey-lever and means operated by the lever for compressing the spring andpartly rotating the disk, said disk being adapted to be propelled duringthe completion of its rotation by the expansion of the spring.

9. In a telegrapl1-transmitter, the combination with a casing havinginsulated strips therein, each strip being connected to a wire of acircuit; of an arm depending from one strip, a spring-pressedcontact-roller hinged to said arm, hangers depending from the otherstrips, rotary disks journaled upon the hangers and having contacts intheir peripheries, the contact-roller being adapted to normally 5 bearupon the periphery of the disk, a plunger slidably mounted upon eachhanger, a shoe at one end of the plunger, a spring inclosing and adaptedto be compressed by the plunger, a pitman connecting the plunger with 10a revolving disk, a cam bearing upon the shoe,

a key-lever and means connecting the lever and cam whereby longitudinalmovement is imparted to the plunger and the spring compressed.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in l 5 presence of twowitnesses.

I \VlLLlS J. ROUSSICL.

\Vitnesses:

FREDERICK J. Dumu'mmnu, FRANK DUILESSXS.

